Workers find historic 'collar disc' at Camp Lincoln

Wednesday

Feb 15, 2017 at 3:58 PMFeb 15, 2017 at 4:15 PM

John Reynolds Staff Writer @JohnReynoldsSJR

Workers replacing a bridge at Camp Lincoln unearthed a piece of Illinois history last week that’s tied to group of African-American soldiers who fought racism and the Germans in the trenches of World War I.

The small item is a little larger than a quarter and is known as a collar disc. It bears the insignia of the Eighth Illinois Infantry, a segregated unit that fought in World War I as the 370th Infantry. Based on the style of the disc, museum officials believe an Illinois Guardsman lost it some time between 1923 and 1936.

Bill Lear, curator at the Illinois State Military Museum, said the artifact cleaned up nicely and is now on public display.

“It was kind of caked in mud and dirt,” Lear said when describing what the disc looked when it was discovered by the workers. “It had 80-plus-years of dirt all over it. For the most part, it was in OK shape. Once we cleaned the mud out of the crevices and got it in here, it almost looks new.”

Lear added that the collar disc is rare, and it was an unusual coincidence that it was found in February, which is Black History Month.

Adriana Schroeder, command historian for the Illinois National Guard, said the Eighth Infantry and its earlier incarnations have a unique history.

The unit was deployed to the Mexican border during the 1916 Pancho Villa Expedition, which was also known as the Mexican Expedition. After that deployment, the unit was drafted into federal service in August of 1917, re-designated the 370th and sent to France to fight in World War I.

Because of racism, the unit fought under the French in Europe.

“They probably should have received some Medals of Honor,” Schroeder said of the unit’s World War I service. “Instead, they received a lot of French awards and a couple of Distinguished Service Crosses on the American side.”

A State Journal-Register story written by the late Doug Pokorski in 1988 detailed the exploits of Col. Otis B. Duncan and the men of the 3rd Battalion, 370th Infantry on Nov. 11, 1918, the last day of the war.

Duncan hadn’t received the cease-fire order, but he did have orders to capture the village of Gue d’Hossus. The colonel led his men into battle, captured the village and a train of 50 German supply wagons and won the last engagement of the war.

When the 370th returned to the U.S. three months later, it was one of the most decorated units of the war. Duncan was wearing a lot of medals, including the Purple Heart and the Croix de Guerre, the highest French commendation, Pokorski’s story said.

Duncan also had another distinction: he was the highest-ranking black officer to have served in the American Expeditionary Force.

Today, the Otis B. Duncan American Legion Post 809 at 1800 E. Capitol Ave. is named after the officer.

Randy Boschulte, commander of Post 809, said the French were impressed by the courage shown by the men of the 370th.

“When they had to fight, they fought,” Boschulte said. “The French were amazed at the amount of valor they had.”

Unfortunately, when they returned the United States the soldiers found the same segregated society they had left.

“They couldn’t do this, couldn’t do that and they couldn’t go there,” Boschulte said. “They knew who they were and they maintained their pride and dignity.”

Duncan died on May 17, 1937. He is buried in Camp Butler National Cemetery.

Documents from the Illinois National Guard indicate the 370th was re-organized as the Eighth Infantry between 1919 and 1921.

The name changed again when they were designated the 184th Field Artillery in October of 1940. The unit was inducted into federal service in January 1941.

The U.S. military was desegregated by an executive order signed by President Harry S. Truman on July 26, 1948. The last of the all-black units was abolished in September 1954.

'Happy find'

The project that unearthed the disc involves replacing an old bridge on the north side of Camp Lincoln that crosses Spring Creek. It’s a single-lane bridge that’s 15-feet wide and 60-feet long. It was built sometime between 1905 and 1936 and was last rehabilitated in 1943.

Guard officials said the new bridge, which is two lanes wide, will ensure that they will be able to move modern equipment around the base.

Lear said that when the soldiers from the Eighth Infantry were drilling at Camp Lincoln, the area near the bridge was used for training.

“There were several different rifle ranges down there. They would have been down there camping, marching and doing all kinds of stuff. I guarantee there are probably plenty of other (artifacts) out there,” Lear said.

In addition to the collar discs, workers also found shell casings and bullets that dated back to the World War I era and pre-World War II era.

The Eighth Infantry Collar Disc is known as a Type II disc, which was issued to Guard soldiers between WWI and WWII. Prior to the find by the construction workers, the museum did not have an example of an Eighth Infantry Type II Collar disc.

“It was a happy find,” Lear said.

The disc is on display on the first floor of the Illinois State Military Museum, 1301 N. MacArthur Blvd.

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